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January 25, 2013 . Gov. Jan Brewer released her proposed education funding budget late last week (1/18/2013). It calls for an additional $110 in continual funding ($110 per student) and $61 million in one-time funding (mostly for building repair and construction). For more details, click here. . This is far less than the $725 million Continue Reading >

Republished February 2012 . In less than two weeks, Arizona will be celebrating 100 years of statehood. Public officials across the state will gather to pay tribute to our progress since those early days as a territory, the challenges to secure statehood, and how the vision of our forefathers has been realized by the generations Continue Reading >

**Updated with vote detail on related bills below.** . After an all night session, the House passed a budget that cuts $183.2 million from K-12 and $270.8 million from universities and community colleges for a total of $454 million in cuts to education in Arizona. The budget was a compromise negotiated among Governor Brewer, the Continue Reading >

Recap: While Politicians Say They Protected Education in FY 2008 to FY 2010, Cuts Totaled $875.5 Million . Education is once again on the chopping block this 2011 legislative session. While the Governor and many legislators claim they have protected education from cuts, there were actually $875.5 million in reductions to K-12, community colleges and Continue Reading >

In the great debate over Arizona’s economy and education reform, a necessary program is often overlooked–adult education and GED (General Education Diploma) Testing. . In 2010, Governor Brewer signed a budget that eliminated the $4.5 million appropriation for Adult Education and GED Testing. When Arizona eliminated this GED funding, it also lost $11 million in matching funds Continue Reading >

FACTS ABOUT PUBLIC EDUCATION FUNDING IN ARIZONA It’s the 2010 voting season! Steer clear of the misinformation campaigns. Take a moment to familiarize yourself with some quick facts on public education funding prior to the November 2 general election. . . In 2007, Arizona spent $61 less per pupil in real dollars than it did in Continue Reading >

Part I: Traditional Public School Finance & Equalization Funding Part II: Charter School Finance & Equalization Funding . . Q and A on Public School Finance and Equalization: Part I . What does it mean when I hear that Arizona is an equalized funding state? The Arizona state constitution calls for the legislature to “enact Continue Reading >

Arizona voters will face tough decisions in the voting booth for the general election this November 2, 2010. AEN would like to make sure voters have all the facts on Proposition 302. The bill passed by the legislature in the 2010 seventh special session by a vote of 48 to 41 refers Proposition 302 to the ballot on November 2. If passed, Proposition 302 will repeal the Arizona Early Childhood and Development Initiative, commonly known as First Things First. The First Things First program is financed by a 2006 voter-approved tax on tobacco to provide funding for early childhood health and development and parenting programs for Arizona families.

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Of concern is the ballot language itself. The language on the ballot for Prop. 302 is an exercise in double-talk where “yes” means “no”, and “no” means “yes”.
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A “yes” vote would not only sweep funds set aside for First Things First–thereby terminating the program and it’s services–it would also redirect future tobacco tax revenue to the state’s general fund to be used at the discretion of the legislature. A “no” vote saves First Things First, preserving the voter-approved program that has been a vital first step in developing a healthy educational foundation for Arizona’s infants and toddlers.

2010 Legislative Sessions: Education Funding Voting Record by Legislator . . You can find your legislative district by visiting here or Project Vote Smart at www.votesmart.org. . You can visit our 2009 Voter Record here. . Legislative Districts are grouped by color for visual differentiation only. . Scroll to the bottom of the page for Continue Reading >

All candidates running for the state Senate or House of Representatives in the 2010 primary were asked to complete our survey on issues surrounding public education in Arizona. The survey consists of 12 multiple-choice questions. A comment section follows each section allowing candidates the opportunity to clarify or elaborate upon their answers. Per our protocol, candidates were emailed the survey on on June 22 and sent two reminder emails prior to the July 16 deadline. If a candidate did not submit a survey, it is noted by their name.

The Arizona Legislature website is one of the best websites of its kind. There are many points of information available and this post will help you navigate it efficiently. This basic tutorial will help a user to understand how the website’s menu bar is set up, and where to go to find the information you are seeking.

Ideology, spin and inflammatory rhetoric are no substitute for factual information.

The majority of Republican, Democrat and Independent-leaning families in our state send their children to public schools–support for education is not a partisan issue. As a group, we will continue to insist that our elected officials use factual information and adhere to their constitutional duties to our children, communities and our schools.

The Arizona Education Network has compiled a summary of all legislators’ voting records pertaining to their support of public education at all levels (K-University) during the 2009 Regular and Special Sessions.

While many Arizonans are familiar with the impact of their local Governing or School Board, they are unfamiliar with the influence of the Superintendent of Public Instruction. The officeholder is a major force in decisions made about public education in the state of Arizona. The Superintendent of Public Instruction influences policy in the legislature, is responsible for the implementation of education legislation and is in charge of the Department of Education and its interactions with school districts. Further, the Superintendent of Public Instruction commands the bully pulpit on education issues and has a great deal of influence on the direction the state takes regarding educational issues like school funding.

The Arizona Legislature is asking voters to temporarily raise the sales tax by 1%, until May 31, 2013. The election will take place on Tuesday, May 18, 2010. The following is information that will explain the proposition’s potential impact.

Arizona Education Network takes a closer look at the private school tax credit program and its history in order to understand the evolution of the program, the issues that have been raised and the potential changes in the future.

. Update to post below: . US Census Department Figures show that the Arizona population increased 28.6% from April of 2000 to July 2009. . During the same period, average daily membership (the term used to refer to the total enrollment of students through the first 100 days of the school year) in Arizona schools Continue Reading >

Public Education & The AZ Constitution–It’s Indisputable!
Why did some Arizona Legislators sign a “No Tax Pledge” that puts them in direct conflict with the Arizona Constitution they swore to uphold?

Arizona’s public school standing in the educational world has been slipping over the last decade, to the point where it has now reached a crisis point in funding, ideology and prioritizing. It needs to be stated and reiterated that public education was vital to our Arizona founders, who recognized the integral relationship between a strong public education system and the viability of Arizona as a state.

The Structure of the Arizona Legislature is comprised of a “lower house,” the House of Representatives, and an “upper house,” the Senate. There are 30 Legislative Districts in Arizona, and combined there are 90 legislators who meet in Phoenix, at the Capital Complex, to represent the entire state constituency.

The following article is a rebuttal of sorts to information that has been disbursed by not only the president of the senate, but some legislators and special interest groups. It contains information on pupil funding, teacher salary, school rankings and other subjects that need truthful clarity.

You may notice, upon occasion, that the Arizona legislature will strip all the legislation from a pending bill and replace it with completely new legislation. This is called a “strike all” amendment. What is the point of changing all the legislation in a bill? The following excerpt from the Arizona Republic sheds light on this Continue Reading >

NOTE TO READER: THIS POST HAS NOT BEEN UPDATED TO INCLUDE GOVERNOR BREWER’S RECORD ON EDUCATION LEGISLATION PAST MAY 29, 2009. SEE INDIVIDUAL ARTICLES UNDER THE GOVERNOR’S RECORD TAB FOR FURTHER INFORMATION ON GOVERNOR BREWER’S RECORD ON EDUCATION RECORD ON EDUCATION – BILLS SIGNED or VETOED May 29, 2009 – Signed special session legislation Continue Reading >

Glen Kerslake of DM-50, Lawrence Portouw of Ft. Huachuca-50 and Steve Yamamori of Fighter County Partnership write a letter to Governor Jan Brewer highlighting the possible ramifications to the military installations in Arizona if the education cuts the legislature is proposing pass.